


Wonder

by clockworked (bedroomdemos)



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Dancing and Singing, M/M, Nightmares, Singing, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-07 23:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11633847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bedroomdemos/pseuds/clockworked
Summary: "Couldn't sleep?""Just another nightmare."





	Wonder

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I almost forgot that Pynch Week was happening but I'm so happy I found the post in my tumblr likes //sweats// anyways
> 
> For Day 3, I bring you my rendition of the prompt "Dance with me?" 
> 
> Title's from _Wonder_ by Adventure Club (because that's all that playing in my head) but I also listened to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQeMxWjpr-Y) on repeat while writing all of this so... I'd recommend you, Reader, to do the same for the sake of the mood~
> 
>  **Side Note:** I read the entire Raven Cycle within a week (or two. I can't remember) last summer and I only own the fourth book, so I'm doing my best to work with what I remember from the series. I seriously need to reread them, but until then, this takes place after the fourth book, when everything has calmed down. The setting is Adam's rented room in St. Agnes' church, and Ronan's sleeping over.

All Adam can really do is pray Ronan doesn’t wake up to the sound of the kettle hissing. It’s plugged into the outlet closest to the front door, farthest from his mattress and from Ronan, but Adam doesn’t think it’s far enough. While he waits for it to boil he stares himself down in the bathroom mirror, his fingers gripping the counter until his knuckles are white. His hair is matted to his forehead and his eyes are bloodshot, but he doesn’t expect any less from his reflection. Adam doesn’t know if he’ll be capable of going back to sleep, even after he drinks the tea—not after it’s already evident that it’ll most likely be another sleepless night. 

He shifts his gaze from his zombified reflection to the analog clock hanging just behind the front door. The hook is crooked so he has to tilt his head to read the correct time, but through the dim bathroom light he makes out that it’s 3:37 in the morning. Adam can hear Maura’s words of advice in his head: _You’re still recovering from all the excitement, but your body won’t be used to it for a little while. Make sure you’re aware of your surroundings, especially at 3 a.m. It’s the witching hour, you know._

_Or you could just sleep through it,_ Blue had suggested over her cup of coffee, her eyes never leaving the book in hand. _Saves you the trouble._

Adam had to bite back a smile in the moment, but he doesn’t do so while recounting the memory. (He’d just said he would try his best, but he wasn’t sure which Sargent he had directed his answer to.) 

The water comes to a boil and snaps Adam out of his thoughts. He rushes out of the bathroom with a decently clean St. Agnes mug in hand, flicking the switch before the bubbling could make any more noise. He tiptoes to the adjacent corner of the room, where two boxes of homemade chamomile tea sits in little baggies. ( _From my mother,_ Blue had told him.) He sits, cross-legged, in front of his kettle and fills his mug with water. The soaked teabag fills the room with the smell of the herb, successfully calming Adam’s restlessness. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” 

Adam almost drops his mug. The silence had become so welcoming that even _he_ momentarily forgot about Ronan’s presence in the room. When he turns to look at the other boy, he’s shirtless and propping himself up on one elbow. The thin sheet they shared as a light ‘blanket’ had fallen to his waist. “Just another nightmare.” 

He’s ready for one of Ronan’s snarky comebacks—it’s just a part of his nature—but instead Adam just hears him sigh. “That’s the fourth time this week.” 

“I know.” 

Ronan pushes the sheet off and walks the short distance from the mattress to the front door. Adam keeps his gaze on his chamomile. “Has the tea been helping, at least?” 

“A little.” Adam blows the steam off the top of the mug, as though that’ll help anything. He’d still have to wait for the tea to cool. “It’s hard, you know. I’m still trying to make sense of everything.” He pauses. “At least this time the walls were melting. I was melting. Nothing out of the blue, but definitely something that’s easier to handle.” 

“You still woke up, though.” One of Ronan’s hands wrap around his, which are already around the mug. “Come back to bed. The scent will help you relax anyways.” 

Adam glances at Ronan, then Ronan’s hand, then towards the front door. He closes his eyes. “I don’t think I’m sleeping tonight.” 

“You need to.” 

“I _want_ to. I just can’t.” 

Silence blankets them for a few moments. Adam drinks some of his tea, keeping his gaze downcast. He’s ready to refuse whatever it is Ronan’s about to offer, but when the words _dance with me_ slip past his lips, Adam can’t help the look of surprise on his face as he meets Ronan’s eyes. “What?”

“I said dance with me.” Ronan bounces back on his heels and stands up, holding his hand out to Adam. “Come on. It’ll help you relax. I’m also saying it as an order instead of a request.” 

Adam doesn’t take his eyes off of him. He takes another sip of tea before placing the mug on the floor. Ronan’s hand never leaves its extended position and he wants to laugh, but he settles for an amused smirk instead. “What good will this do?” 

“I told you. It’ll _relax_ you.” 

“There’s no music.” 

“Just take my hand, Parrish.” 

Adam laughs out loud then, but he gives in and rests his hand on top of Ronan’s. He wants to quip something, anything, maybe _we don’t even have music_ , but Ronan pulls Adam closer so quickly that he stumbles into Ronan’s chest. He wraps his free arm around Adam’s waist, twists his fingers in Adam’s t-shirt, tugs him just a little bit closer—and then he starts humming. 

Ronan had never been one for singing, not since that one time they decided to sing karaoke while drunk, but every time Adam brings up that night Ronan shuts him up with a kiss and growls a “we don’t talk about that.” Now, with no one around but Ronan, Adam, and Ronan’s offkey humming, Adam can’t help himself. “I thought you vowed to never sing again after you got a score of 63 on that one song.” 

They move in slow circles, stationed in one little area of the room that has decently empty floor space. Ronan continues to hum but the sound turns a little more contemplative. “I did make that vow. But I made it about singing during karaoke.”

“Does this mean, when we finally go on that road trip you’ve oh-so-graciously been planning for us, you’ll sing along to the radio? In the car? On the wide open highway of wherever-the-hell?”

Ronan’s eyes search his for a moment before looking away. He continues humming, leaving the question unanswered for a few moments. “‘Maybe’ is the only answer you’re going to get from me.” 

Adam tilts his head so that his forehead bumps against Ronan’s, and he nudges Ronan to look at him despite the close proximity. Ronan’s humming drifts off into silence. He searches Adam’s eyes and Adam leans, tilts his head, to catch Ronan’s lips in a perfected soft kiss. His eyelids flutter closed. Even though there’s no music now, they continue to move in slow circles, and it’s only after ages seem to pass that Adam pulls away and smiles. “You’re right,” he mused, “that did relax me.” 

“You know I’m here for you.” Ronan’s words are muttered, but Adam still takes them with his whole heart. He glances at the tilted clock, registers the 4:09, and relaxes. “It’s the end of the witching hour,” he continues. “Time to come back and sleep with me.” 

As they settle themselves back onto the mattress, with his breath trailing down Adam’s spine, Ronan says, “You know, one day I’m going to ask you to move in with me. We can even split rent—if there _is_ any—and you can be free of this shithole.” 

Adam laughs. “‘Maybe,’” he repeats, “is the only answer you’re going to get from me.” 

Ronan kisses the soft spot behind Adam’s ear. “I can live with that.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave kudos and let me know what you think! Feedback always means a lot to me. 
> 
> Thank you for reading ♡
> 
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/twinleafs) | [ko-fi](http://ko-fi.com/developments)


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